If Today Was Your Last Day Would You Graduate?
by shawtie
Summary: Max leaves the flock to live life "normally" because of a complication, but they find her again almost immediately. The six of them give school another chance. FAXness!
1. Chapter 1

**This is my first Maximum Ride fanfiction! I just discovered the series, so my writing may be a little shaky because I'm not totally familiar with the author's writing, but I'll give it my best shot.**

**Those of you who haven't read the Max Ride books, READ THEM. I'm not gonna do much background explaining. (Though I'm not sure why you would be reading this story if you hadn't read the books.)**

**Summary: Set during TFW. When Max receives some somewhat upsetting news regarding her own death from Dr. Martinez, she splits off from the flock and tries to live life normally. But of course they just can't let her be, can they?**

**This story will probably branch way out from what is mentioned above. I just had no idea what to write in the summary. Nobody does. That's why you hire people to write them for you.**

**Disclaimer: I don't own nothin.**

**NOTE: I've always disliked the huge involvement of Dr. Martinez and Ella in Max's life from the beginning. You can imagine how mad I was when they turned out to be FAMILY. In MY version, Dr. Martinez and Ella are ****in no way**** related to Max. While they have had interactions, they are not especially close.**

**Chapter One**

I flew higher, spiraling up into the sky, reveling in the feeling of freedom. Enjoying the stretch of my wings. Finding sheer delight in the way the sun hit my feathers exactly the right way, setting off the differently colored hues. I lifted my face up, closing my eyes, relishing the peace –

An obnoxious static noise broke my reverie. A voice crackled into life. "Max, you need to fly lower," Brigid Dwyer's voice sounded in my ear impatiently. Like she hadn't told me enough times to make me want to drop her off a cliff so we could all see if she had wings. If she didn't, we would all enjoy the show, anyway. At any rate, I would. I glared at the walkie-talkie clipped on to my shoulder, having half a mind to just drop it in the ocean and have that be the end of it. The other half of my mind wanted to dive in to the sea, a possible meaning for "flying lower."

I grabbed the walkie-talkie. "Bite me." But I swooped lower anyway. After all, we weren't allowed on this small holiday unless we permitted the scientists to study us. At the time I had thought it a small price to pay. Yeah, well, that's like saying

John Abate's voice came through. "Okay, Max, just a bit more, then we'll bring you in for a break." He sounded surprised I had complied with orders. Obviously I would rather be stuck in an elevator with Gazzy for an hour than do any favor Brigid asked of me, but Angel's insubordination was really starting to get out of hand. I figured if she saw me following instructions then she would follow mine. At least, I hoped.

At any rate, I was glad that John was now dominating the walkie-talkie. "John? I'm really craving a Happy Meal. Actually, more like two. And could you get one with the dinosaur in it? Already got the plane."

Annoyingly, Brigid's voice came through again. She and a few others – presumably some of the flock; I would get them later – were laughing. "Yes, Max, I would be happy to get the dinosaur for you."

"Not for me, you idiot, for _Gazzy_," I snarled. Even up in the air away from all pairs of unwanted eyes, my face changed color. Maybe it was logical for Brigid to assume that I wanted it for me, but surely the rest of the flock would have realized _I _didn't want it.

The Mad Scientist acted like she didn't hear me. "Max, could you fly a bit to your left?" she asked, almost as if I were a dog performing a show. Come, Max. Heel, Max. Stop chewing that Brigid voodoo doll, Max.

Screw following directions. That was enough for me. We were in Antarctic waters; the sun was shining so brightly it was like an electrified tree at Christmas that Santa Claus had decorated while being drunk on cookies and milk. I veered left, making sure that I was outlined against the sun.

_Very mature, Max, _the Voice said disapprovingly. I smiled.

I was positive, knowing that the scientists' dorky binoculars were magnifying my wayward body as much as possible, that all of their eyes would be close to having been burnt out of their sockets after their enlightening experience. (Ha, en_light_ening, geddit?) Naturally, Iggy would get off easy, being blind and all. Sometimes I envy that kid. He misses out on all the grossest visuals. The Gasman barfing up all those chocolates in France? Not a pretty picture. Guess who was voted for cleanup duty? Well, I certainly wasn't doing it. Let's just say that the French room cleaners got a little better acquainted on Americans' good taste (literally) of art.

I decided that was enough for today, at least. Wheeling around, I shot towards the bow of the ship, where nearly everyone was clutching their eyes and staggering around. Ha. Geeks. "Happy Meal?" I prodded.

"Unnh… It's on its way…" John groaned. Too bad he had gotten caught in the crossfire. All's fair in love and war. (Okay, I was _totally _talking about war here. This has nothing to do with love. Whatever you might think.)

I grinned, making my way towards the back end of the ship. Angel followed me. "That wasn't very nice, you know," she said reproachfully, blue eyes piercing. Of course, she had known that I would do that, having been studying my mind like a book. All I can say is, it couldn't have been a too interesting read. Or a very long one.

"You know I would never hurt _you, _sweetie," I told her. And it was true. While everyone else on board had deserved it, I could never bring myself to hurt my little girl. But something seriously needed to be done about her sudden incapability of taking orders.

"Still," she pressed, "I really think you should give Brigid a chance." Give that snake an inch and she would stretch it into a mile of fawning-over-Fangness.

I leaned over the rail and breathed the salt air. It couldn't quite compare with the thinner air above, but that wasn't really an option to me right now, unless I needed an excuse to leave the cruel world and commit death by walkie-talkie. Brigid made me do all the high-flying, robotic antics. It was really getting on my nerves. Maybe she thought she was doing me a favor, granting me all the extra fly-time, but the truth was that I had just about reached the end of my rope and was ready to start tying the knot around my neck.

Iggy had followed us to the stern – see? I'm learning ship stuff! – of the boat. He gazed out on the mostly white landscape, relishing in his newfound ability to see the color white. Pretty snazzy, eh?

"How's it looking out there, Ig?"

He hissed in breath through his teeth. "Why can I only see _white_?"

I gave him a dose of my special leadership advice, which only I get to hand out because it's so full of crap. "Patience, young grasshopper. Grateful of what you have, you should be."

He shot me a death glare. Which I couldn't return.

"Seriously though, Ig, I bet the rest of the colors will follow. You're sure to get your vision back eventually. It would just be hard to get it all at one time."

"It's like coming back after an illness," Angel chimed in.

This was why our flock was together. We didn't need anyone else; we knew instinctively what the other was feeling and made them feel better right away. Especially me. I take other people's feelings _very _seriously.

I patted Iggy's shoulder. "Trust me, I'd rather be blind than look at Gazzy's ugly mug every day," I said loudly, as the rest of the flock joined us.

"Too bad he's much better looking than I am," Gazzy said in a perfect imitation of my voice.

Iggy smiled, knowing somehow as he always did when Gazzy was exercising his unusual talent. "I feel for you there."

Angel was rigid suddenly, and I tensed. Despite our playful bantering, I was never fully relaxed.

But her face brightened after only a few seconds. "Food's here!" she announced. Don't ask me how they got McDonald's to Antarctica. All I knew was that when we asked for something, we got it.

"Thank God!" Nudge groaned. "I'm starving!"

"You guys go on ahead," I said. "Don't even think about eating my food, or I'll kick your butts all the way back to the U.S."

Iggy, Gazzy, Nudge, and Angel trooped below decks for some good family bonding fun of artery-clogging. Yum yum. Fang stayed. I felt his dark eyes on me.

I leaned against the rail again, not really wanting to talk. I totally didn't understand what was going on with me and Fang. I wished it could just go back to the way it was before, when I didn't worry about how I looked in the morning or how bad my breath smelled after eating some of those extra-garlicky fries.

"You okay?"

Without looking at him, I sighed, noisily blowing hair out of my face. "I'm just so tired, you know? I mean, I know we're down here to save the world, but lately it's feeling more and more like they just want us down here for their own personal seventh-grade science project."

"Is that so bad?" he countered.

Of course, I had forgotten his blog. Next would be a fan club. With confetti. And Halloween costumes of us. Why not just make a freaking sign saying _We Love Mother Max and Her Hippie Bird Freaks? _

I made the mistake of looking up at his face. Expressionless as always, but of course thinking harder than anyone I knew. I shook my head. "Of course it is! We don't know if they're double agents just passing information on to the bad guys!"

Fang looked steadily at me. "It's okay to have a little help sometimes," he said, and suddenly I wondered if we were even talking about the scientists anymore.

I deliberately turned back to the previous conversation. "Not while we're mutant freaks. We can't trust _anyone._" I hated to break it to the flock, but the three people I trusted absolutely and completely were me, myself, and I.

He took a step toward me, hesitated. "Max…"

I cut him off. "Well, I'm starving!" I said briskly. "Going to go get something to eat!" It seemed like we were always like this. Him taking one step forward, me backing away three paces. That was the safest way to do it.

I left him standing at the rail, watching me run away.


	2. Chapter 2

**Again, it's taken me a long time to update! Sorry, sorry. But hey, it's summer! You're not supposed to be inside!**

**Disclaimer: I don't own Maximum Ride, or any characters in Maximum Ride.**

**Chapter Two**

Why couldn't Fang just let things be? Oh, yeah. Because he's Fang. God.

I ran below decks to escape from him. This shouldn't even be happening. Who has to run from their best friend? Well, I suppose if you're Peter Parker it's understandable, but it's not really the same situation.

The rest of the flock was in the kitchen with the scientists, doing justice to the McDonald's spread on the table. I squeezed in next to Nudge, but I had kinda lost my appetite.

"Hey, Max, fast food is kinda gross, y'know?" she said, stuffing French fries in her mouth. "I mean, they just pour the grease right on the fries. I heard they just have a bucket of grease that they pour. Isn't that disgusting? We should open a chain of restaurants that has healthy food. I bet everyone would totally eat there!" Suddenly, I broke in to a random coughing fit, gasping for breath. Nudge thumped me on the back.

"Yes, we could do that someday," I said, gasping, when I could breathe again. I poured myself a glass of water. "That's definitely one way to save the world." From heart attacks, at least.

I sensed Fang entering the room quietly, but didn't look at him. I pretended to be absorbed in my burger as he sat opposite me.

Angel leaned across Nudge to talk to me. "Max? Can we go on land soon? I kind of miss it." She blinked her blue eyes innocently.

"Yeah, let's go tomorrow," I agreed. "It'll be good to get off this metal floating bathtub." Hopefully this was me giving her consent and not Angel giving herself consent through my mind. But I was pretty sure I kept Angel well out of my mind. It took a few months of pounding it into her head, but I think she finally got that under _no circumstances _would she be allowed in my mind.

"Max?" Dr. Papa said from the corner of the small kitchen. "There's a telephone call for you."

"Uh, what?" I said in disbelief. A phone call. From who? My conscience? That's probably the only person who has my phone number, anyway.

"Lucky!" Nudge squealed. "I've never gotten a telephone call before!"

Gazzy kicked me under the table. "Well, go get it!"

I got up, and slowly moved to the corner of the kitchen. Dr. papa handed me the phone. I turned so my back was to the curious stares of the flock. "Um…hello?" I said hesitantly.

"Max? This is Dr. Martinez, you remember, from Arizona?" The doctor's voice sounded extremely upset.

"Oh, hi." I relaxed. That crazy lady who had actually helped an injured hybrid bird id without asking for anything in return.

The chattering at the table resumed, the kids reassured by my ease in tension. They made the cluttered kitchen so loud that if was difficult to hear the doctor. I cupped the hand not holding the phone over myh othe ear, but I still only caught snatches of conversation.

"Max… x-ray… sorry… pretty sure… so, so, sorry…"

"Sorry, what was that? It's as noisy as a _zoo _in here!" I shouted, shooting meaningful glances at the table.

"Oh, Max…"

Gazzy stood up on his chair and made a grotesque farting noise with his mouth. I turned away, disgusted.

"Max, I… I've been studying the x-ray we took on out last visit, and…"

Suddenly my throat was very dry. I realized I was still holding the glass of water from the table. I took a swig, but that didn't quell the sudden feeling of foreboding in the pit of my stomach.

"Oh, I'm sorry… so, so sorry…" Her voice broke at the end. Dr. Martinez was crying. For me.

"Your x-ray… Y-you have… tuberculosis. Normally it wouldn't be so dangerous, but… you have the non-treatable kind. I would guess you have only a couple of months to live." She was speaking quickly as if that would make it better. I stared at the wall, my eyes stretched wide in shock. "If you could just… stop by… I could do some tests, and we'll be certain…"

I burst out laughing, though the sound was slightly breathless and a lot strained. "Me? No. I don't think so. I think your equipment is a bit dysfunctional, Doctor." Dr. Martinez was wrong. What did she know, anyway? She didn't know me. She had only met me once. And besides, she's a vet, not an actual doctor.

"Max…I'm not kidding. This is serious. Very, very serious. And I'm almost completely positive. Please, this is no laughing matter."

"You listen to me, and you listen good, _Doctor_," I snarled into the phone, but quietly so no one heard me. "I'm perfectly healthy. Alright? No problems here. Don't bother me with crap like this again, okay?"

The doctor spoke as if she hadn't heard me. "You may recognize some of these symptoms. Fever, night sweats, coughing, chest pain, shortness of breath."

The jar of water slipped through my frozen fingers and shattered immediately. The glass shards cut gouges into my legs, but I barely felt it. Some dim corner of my mind registered that it had gone very, very quiet in the small room.

"What?" I whispered bleakly, hoping against hope it wasn't true. She couldn't be telling the truth; she must be working for the School, or Itex, or…

But the obvious tears in Dr. Martinez's voice convinced me. I could actually hear her bawling on the other end of the line, even as she tried to comfort me.

"That's not possible," I argued. "It… just _can't _be." Dr. Martinez was wrong. What did she know, anyway? She didn't know me. She had only met me once. Her equipment was probably dysfunctional. Yeah, that was it. And besides, she's a vet. How can she know humans?

"Max, if you'll just… come by my lab… we'll do some tests… please…"

I slammed the phone back down in its cradle, gripping the counter with the other hand. I could feel my legs going weak. I squeezed my eyes shut and inhaled sharply through my nose. I felt a tickle in my throat, as though I were going to start coughing again. I pushed the sensation down.

"Max? Are… you okay?"

The horrific realization started to set in. Coughing fits… I hadn't been able to fly as high lately, because of breathing trouble… No, no, no…

"Max…?"

Suddenly it was just too much. How would the flock look at me, when they found out? I whirled and bolted from the kitchen as fast as I could. I raced into the girls' room and slammed the door shut, locking it and propping a chair under the doorknob so it was impossible to open. I flung myself onto the bed and tried to stop thinking.

A second later, there was insistent knocking at the door. "Max, open up!" came Fang's voice, as close to shouting as it ever got for him.

I heard Nudge's voice, sounding scared. "Max, what's wrong? Let us in!"

"I'm fine, guys," I called unconvincingly through the door, hating the way my voice shook. "Just leave me alone, kay?" The last thing I needed right now was for Angel to read my mind.

Fang actually sounded angry. "No, it's not okay! Open this door!"

_Just go away, Fang, _I pleaded silently. _All of you, go away._

_Maybe they can help, _suggested the Voice, sounding unusually gentle.

_Oh, yeah, maybe they can apply for being my hearse driver or something, once I finally croak, _I snarled back. _That'd be helpful!_ I tuned out the noise coming from the door.

I could see the tombstone now. _Here lies Max, Avian American, escaper of bullets, Erasers, and mad scientists, lover of cute shoes and chocolate chip cookies, brought down tragically by a freaking disease only ancient people get when they pathetically inhale someone else's coughing germs. _It'd have to be a pretty dang big tombstone, but we could make it work. Or rather, _they _could.

Oh, my God. I don't have a will. I should make one. But what did I have that I could leave to anyone? Leadership of the flock, to Fang. My clothes could go to Nudge. Ha. Yeah, right. She'd probably burn them. I would leave my sight to Iggy, if I wasn't worried he might suddenly get the hots for Fang or something.

I lay down flat on the bunk. If I had been stronger, would this not have happened? If I were a better leader, would I still have been out there with the flock right now, pigging out on McCrap? Would the other kids develop it as well?

Then I had a thought that made me jolt upright on the bunk – and immediately give myself a world-class knock on the head from the bunk above. _Was it contagious? _

My head was throbbing but in the next instant I was across the room, tearing apart our packs ina vain attempt to find the laptop we had been using. I cursed when I remembered Fang had kept it so he could update his stupid blog regularly. I found it hard to believe thousands of kids were logging on every day just to keep tabs on us. I mean, who wants to read about six mutant hygiene-challenged kids who considered brushing their hair an achievement? Well, you are. But that's different.

Maybe I could log on to the computers in the research room. Yeah. That could work. I looked around the room, focusing on the small porthole I had once slated as an escape option when we first arrived. It would be a tight squeeze, but I would most likely make it. It was probably a good thing I hadn't eaten any McDonald's, after all.

Cautiously, I popped open the hatch, hoping the creaking wouldn't attract attention, as the hallway had gone silent. _Duh, _I berated myself. _It's a _boat. _It was _built _to creak._

I backed out feet first, wriggling a bit as my torso just barely squeaked past.j I hung from the tiny window by just my fingertips for a second, thinking how unfortunate it would be if a shark swam by just then and decided feathers would make a good addition to his diet.

Bracing my feet against the side, I pushed off and snapped my wings out simultaneously. My sneakers just barely brushed the surface of the water untilI rose above the deck and saw there was truly not a soul in sight. I would be so screwed if someone saw me right now.

Soundlessly I crept to the stairway and made my way to the research center without any problems.

And _that _was when the stupid computer asked for a password. Technology sucks.

"Maxride", "Fang", and "Password" did nothing (not like I expected those would work), but "ElizabethK", the stupid ancient boat we were on, got me in.

I found a page on tuberculosis, and scanned it, desperately looking for answers. When I found it, my head sagged forward to hang on my hands. No. _No._

I'm not sure how long I sat there, numb, unthinking, but voices coming down the hall sent me back to reality. Quickly, I closed down the program and dove under the desk.

Dr. Papa and Brigid entered the room, talking quietly.

"…worried. Should we do something?"

"No. This is their business. And besides, I don't know how we can help. I mean, I don't know about you, but Max never opened up to me."

I heard Brigid sigh. "No, I guess not. As upsetting as it is, it's actually pretty sweet to just see them out there, waiting by the door, saying they won't move until she comes out." She sounded almost wistful for a moment.

"She's one heck of a leader. I wish I were as tough as her." The two moved on, out of the room.

Sneakily, I crept out from under the desk and stole abovedecks again. I made it bacfk to the room without incident.

I lay on the bunk again, staring up yet seeing nothing. This still had an alien feeling, like any second now the cameras would pop out and I would be an unknowing star on the reality TV show _Gullible at its Max. _And I could continue living with my flock, my five wonderful best friends.

I didn't realize I was crying until I felt the wetness on the pillow next to my face. I raised my arm to wipe them away, then lowered it and allowed the tears to continue down my cheeks. I knew what I had to do, but I couldn't help trying desperately to come up with any other option that I could possibly entertain even for a second.

But somehow I knew, by instinct yet again, I wouldn't find one.

**A/N: Poor Max.. Again, sorry it takes so long! I'll try and be better about updating!**


	3. Chapter 3

**WHOA!! I changed the title and summary! Did you notice? Of course you did. I'm trying to update more frequently now, but school starts – today, actually, so that may not last long.**

**Disclaimer: I don't own Maximum Ride. Picked up on that too, did ya? You're sharp.**

**Chapter 3**

I was jolted from my self-inflicted trance by little fists banging on the door. "Max!" Angel's voice traveled through the door, her trying so hard to sound fierce. "Come _out! Now!" _Startled, I sat up quickly and my head collided with the bunk above yet again with a loud thud. I groaned loudly. Now, at least, my head would be symmetrical. Matching bruises on either side. Whoopee.

"Max…?" That was Nudge, hesitant for once. "Are you…alright?" They must have heard my unfortunate encounters with the bunk above.

Swearing bitterly, I crossed over to the door and kicked the chair away before opening it.

"Oof!" I said intelligently as the breath was knocked out of me. Nudge had thrown her arms around me and was now hugging me fiercely.

"ZOMG! Max you scared us to death! I mean we were all really really worried of course but Fang was the most! And I'm so glad you came out because we've been waiting out here for you and we didn't finish out food and I'm really hungry – you are okay, aren't you?"

"Yeah, what was that big bang we heard?" the Gasman piped up, his worry clouding his blue eyes.

I rubbed my head ruefully. "Uh…let's just say that I changed my mind and I want the top bunk now." I smiled sheepishly.

"But why did you run in there?"

"Oh, that." I waved my hand airily, hoping my ability to lie convincingly on the spot would choose to make an appearance now. "I had a… uhm, panic attack. You know. Since we're in a huge metal tub, and all." _Heck yes! _

"Why did you lock us out?" Angel looked up at me innocently, even going so far as to take my hand.

I only needed to lie down, sweetie. I didn't need any help," I replied, just as sweetly. Fang was staring at me, face impassive as usual. He raised a dark eyebrow, and I knew he didn't believe my story any more than I believed that Santa Claus wasn't just a fat old guy who snuck into your house and stole food from your fridge. He just knew me that well. Or maybe my story was crappier than I thought.

"Okay, well, can we go finish our meal now that we've decided Max isn't about to drop dead?" Iggy said impatiently. I winced slightly at his choice of words, and tried to keep any traitorous thoughts from crossing my mind, which was about as inevitable as the Mariners finishing the bottom of the league again. I could only hope Angel was honoring my request of privacy in my own head. Privacy was pretty laughably impossible considering I had a Voice I couldn't get rid of.

Pasting a smile on my face, I sent the flock to finish their meal. "I need some air," I told them. "It's way too close in here."

I soon realized how true my excuse actually was. As I walked down the corridor it felt as though the walls were closing in on me, kind of like in the old Star Wars movie. But then, they had been in a junk compactor, not a compactor made of junk like I was.

I speeded up, actually running to get to the railing of the boat. The wind felt nice against my burning face. I closed my eyes, wondering how I was ever going to force myself back in the floating hamster box.

I opened my eyes, and was startled to see Fang leaning on the rail next to me, his eyes fixed on my face.

"Why'd you follow me?" I asked, flustered. I hadn't heard him come like usual, and also like usual it was unnerving.

He ignored the question but continued to stare fixedly into my eyes. I had no idea what he saw there. Despair? Resolve? For I already knew what my next move from here would be.

"Max, I think we both know that you did not just have a panic attack down there," Fang said, his eyes never leaving mine.

"No?" I said innocently, inwardly hating how easily he could read me. I wished I could read him just half as well, actually _know _what he was thinking in that scruffy head of his.

"No." His voice was firm. He reached out suddenly, putting his hand on top of mine. "All I know is that you ran out of that room looking freaked, and now you look like…like somebody _died." _

I repressed a shudder. Not some_one, _but some_thing _had died. My life here with the flock. I covered with an offense. "I'm _fine. _Save your sympathy for someone who _wants _it. Like people who _didn't _have panic attacks because maybe some of us just want to be left _alone!" _I felt close to spitting at the end.

Fang waited patiently through my outburst, then said calmly, "That wouldn't include you because say what you like, that _wasn't _a panic attack." I tried to pull my hand away, and his grip tightened. His expression turned intense, and he moved a step closer. His voice lowered, somehow softer than a whisper, and I had to concentrate to halt a another shiver of an entirely different kind. "Who was that on the phone?"

I turned angry again. "It was God. He wants you to quit bugging me or you're going to hell." I tried twisting away again, and he let me go, but only just before he grabbed my arms and forced me to face him. I thought I could detect a spark of anger now in those dark eyes.

Someone else came up on deck. I turned to them, distracted. It was Brigid. "Oh, there you are, Fang! I – ," she stopped when she took in our current position, and Fang's intense expression, which hadn't left me. I felt heat rising in my face again. I tried to squirm away, but Fang held me tighter.

"I see," she said, after an uncomfortable pause. "Well, don't let me interrupt." She disappeared below.

I turned back to Fang, whose gaze hadn't left me the entire time. He hadn't even glanced up when Brigid walked in on us.

"You do know that it was _Brigid _that just walked in, right?" I said in disbelief. When his expression didn't change I felt the need to clarify. "Brigid _Dwyer?" _

"Who _cares?" _he snapped, and I was taken aback. "I want to help you. Max, if there's something going on…something you're afraid to tell the other…" His tone had changed again to something low and intimate, sending butterflies to my stomach. He had pulled me closer, and now one of his hands carefully and gently pushed my hair back from my face. "I used to be your best friend. I hope I still am." His arm pulled me against him so he was holding me, while his other hand continued to stroke my hair.

I allowed myself to be comforted a moment. It was so easy, here in his arms, I though, my head on his shoulder, to imagine that nothing could ever hurt me, that he wouldn't let anything hurt me. I heard the steady sound of his heart beating, and imagined myself telling him my little problem. He would hold me even tighter, and promise it would be alright, and I wouldn't have to face this alone.

And I might get him killed.

In real life, Fang brought his mouth down to my ear. "Let me help you," he breathed, warm breath stirring my hair.

But my last sobering thought had brought me back to reality. I pushed away from him. "I don't need any help," I growled. There was so much more written on his face than I had ever seen there before, but I was afraid to read it. I found I somehow had the courage to reenter the hellhole, practically sprinting to get away from Fang.

He didn't follow, and I was grateful. I somehow just couldn't keep up the lie when he was around.

But when I saw the flock again, they all wanted to go fly around, just for fun outside. I agreed, dreading facing my familiar-yet-strange-acting friend. Luckily, he wasn't there. Probably off making up – or making _out – _with Brigid.

Or so I thought until I saw her come up with Dr. Papa. No Fang. Well, the pair of them would talk later, when I was – I couldn't even finish the thought.

The flock and I minus Fang kept busy for the rest of the day, just flying around, playing games, and having a great time. It succeeded in keeping my mind off what I would do later that night, teasing Gazzy, tickling Angel, laughing with Nudge, and hitting Iggy for being a sexist pig. But, usually right in the middle of a really good laugh, I found tears starting in my eyes and sorrow piercing through me. I wish we could stay happy like this forever.

At these times I would become aware of Angel's penetrating gaze, and throw myself into the activities with a renewed will to keep our merriment going.

I didn't want this day to ever end, but gradually the sun slipped lower over the horizon, until only a little sliver of it was showing. We coasted down to the deck, barely making any noise.

Dinner was a silent affair – for me, anyway. I tuned out the conversation, and offered monosyllabic words when it was directed my way, sinking deeper into my melancholy.

Everyone was tired from our day, so we turned in early. Yeah, it was hard being a mutant bird kid on-the-run, but someone had to do it.

I waited three hours in my bunk, trying not to think at all because it was inevitable I would talk myself out of what I was about to do. I made sure I heard Angel's deep, even breathing, Nudge's stirring and muttering, and total's snore – do dogs snore, or does it go along with the talking thins? – before I climbed carefully down from my new top bunk and carefully pulled out the backpack I had stashed under the bed. Years of required stealth meant that I had achieved this in complete silence.

Once out of the room, I listened at the boys' door and heard Iggy and Gazzy's snoring. Fang hadn't come back yet, and I hoped he didn't hate me too much when he returned to find me gone. He would be a good leader for the flock. Besides, he had the experience – from when he was head of the mini-flock when we separated.

_And the three of them came back with bashed-in faces, _the Voice put in. _Comforting._

I scolded the Voice. _They dove in the ocean to get rid of the Flyboys! It was a great plan!_

_Max, you're making a mistake. The flock needs you and you need to turn around right now._

I clamped down on the Voice before I actually listened to it.

Once on deck, I looked around one last time, actually managing to summon up some affection for the ancient boat. After all, she hadn't sunk, had she?

Standing at the railing, I closed my eyes and prepared to jump. _Goodbye. I love you all. _I climbed up so I was crouching on the metal bar, and leaned forward –

And was suddenly yanked back – quite painfully, I might add – by the hood of my sweatshirt. I toppled over and hit the deck, hard, my breath knocked out of me. Then hands gripped the undersides of my arms, yanking me into a standing position.

I barely had time to register Fang's murderous expression before he shook me back and forth vigorously, snapping my head around. I planted my feet and shoved his chest away, but he was so much stronger than me that I doubt he felt it all. Thankfully, he stopped shaking me.

_"What – do you think – you're DOING?" _Fang snarled, bringing his face close to mine. I had never seen him this furious. Not even battling Ari, out for revenge, had caused him to show so much emotion on his face.

"What do you – what are you doing out here?" I was so, so confused. Not like that was anything new.

"I _thought _something like this might happen," Fang said savagely, talking to himself more than he was talking to me. "But I didn't really _believe _it! Oh, God, you're crazy!" He was speaking to me again, and I wished he wasn't. He eyes were practically shooting sparks. "Why are you _leaving?"_

I hoped my face was expressionless; if it wasn't this would just be that much harder. I made my voice as cold and unfeeling as I could. "I have to do this."

"Like _hell _you do!" he exploded, shaking me again. "Tell me _why."_

I kept my face like stone, but on the inside my mind was whirling. _How do I make him let go of me? _I was fairly confident that, once in the air, I could outfly anyone, but Fang's grip on me was too tight to escape. I twisted experimentally, and automatically his hands tightened. _Oh, fabulous. _Only one way out of this.

"Let me go, Fang," I growled. "You don't _need _to know my reasons. You just need to know I need to _go." _I was starting to sound like a nursery rhyme.

He studied my face, no doubt searching for answers there, and abruptly I decided it was too dangerous to stay a moment longer.

Without warning, I wrenched away as hard as I could from him and simultaneously brought my knee up hard. His hand stopped my attack, but I jumped in the air and brought my other leg up in a snap kick to his chest. I didn't do it hard enough to cause damage, but I heard his breath leaving his lungs in a whoosh.

His hands found my shoulders again, but I knocked them away before he could get a good grip and twisted his arm behind his back. We were both holding back on our strength and skills during this struggle; I wasn't sure what was going through his mind but there was no way I was going to hurt my best friend.

Unexpectedly he dropped down to a crouch and swept my feet out from under me with his leg. I landed on my butt and lost my grasp on his arm. Instantly he was on top of me, pinning me to the ground, bracing himself for my next attack. I couldn't flip him over.

I realized just then our positions. Him on top of me, chest touching my chest, thighs touching my thighs, face just mere inches away. I burned in the places where he touched me – which was all over. I looked in his eyes, his expression still angry.

I think in my eyes he saw acceptance, and no intention to keep fighting. That's because I _had _no intention to keep fighting. He let up the pressure on my body for a moment, and on autopilot – get it, ha ha – I resumed fighting.

He tried to pin me down again, but one of my legs had twisted around his and flipped us over so he was the one under me. I straddled his chest, and pushed him down brutally, immobilizing him.

I heard footsteps pounding up the stairs. Someone must have heard all our thumping. Quick as a flash, I jolted up and sprinted to the side of the boat. I didn't pause for the emotional breakdown this time, jumping and rising again almost immediately, my wings beating hard.

"Max!" I had time to hear Fang yell, before I left them behind in the dust.

I knew the flock would be right behind me, so kept up my super speeded flight.

I felt myself crying again, and continued on through the night, feeling the weight of the world on my shoulders and bearing the sudden burden of loneliness that comes with flying solo.

**A/N: On her own… well, I didn't update as soon as I would have liked, but I think it's still an improvement. And I also like the title/summary better now. Hopefully the next chapter will be up soon!**


	4. Chapter 4

A/N: It's been awhile since I updated… AGAIN!! The teachers really piled on the schoolwork. If you haven't, go check out the other stories I put up while I was brainstorming ideas for this.

Disclaimer: Me owning Maximum Ride would be like… Nudge on Mountain Dew. The world would be total chaos. Nuff said.

Chapter 4

Nudge's POV

"NUDGE! Wake _up!" _Angel's voice woke me. That, and the small black object bouncing up and down on my stomach, causing me to wonder if I might see my dinner again in just a few moments.

I must've made a disturbing moaning sound, because Total stopped jumping on me and quickly scurried out of spitting distance – farther than I could project. Darn.

"Nudge, come _on!" _Angel snapped.

"Wha'?" I mumbled. "Wha's going on?"

"Max is _gone!"_

Normally it took me an hour and an unhealthy amount of coffee to wake me up completely, but those three words forced my eyes wide open and caused my heart to begin thumping double-time. I began hyperventilating. "What? Why did she leave? Did they take her? What will we do without her? Oh, my God, we're going to – "

Fang came into the room just then, interrupting my stream of uncensored thoughts. There was a scratch on his face, and he looked like he had been fighting, but his eyes caught my attention right away. They were determined, and I had never seen him so – so – _mad._

"Don't bother with clothes," he commanded, eyes flashing. "We're losing time. Let's just go. We'll leave Total here."

"But, what – "

"I'll explain what happened when we're in the air, now let's _move!" _He left without a word, already itching to be in the air.

Quickly, I ran after him, colliding with Iggy. His arm held me up, and I gratefully took his hand. "What happened to Max?" I asked breathlessly.

He shook his head. "No idea. Fang's the only one who knows what happened. Guess he'll tell us when we're in the air."

The deck was busy. It seemed everyone had been up for hours except me. John hurried over to Fang and began talking earnestly. Fang said something curtly, and walked away. John looked taken back. Welcome to the frustration of Fang. Max said once that it was like talking had skipped a generation on Fang and doubled up on me. She always did have a unique way of looking at things. That was one of the ways that we had known that Max II wasn't Max; she just didn't have the same _style._

I ran to join the rest of the flock, who was taking off. I was about to jump off the boat, but Gazzy pushed me off the railing and went first. I squealed. "Gazzy! I was going to go next!"

He smirked at me, already ten feet above my head. "Ladies first."

I squealed again and rose quickly into the air, making sure one of my wings cuffed his head. "Ladies don't _fart _every five seconds, _Gasman." _

"They also don't talk for ten minutes straight every time they open their mouths," he countered. "You better not ever join a nunnery, Nudge. After an hour of you, they would be drawing numbers to see who gets to lop off your head."

I stuck out my tongue. "That's nothing compared to you. I heard that nunneries don't even accept people who smell like hobos."

"Guys!" Angel snapped. "Stop! I want to hear what Fang has to say!"

Gazzy was twisting his fingers together anxiously. I nervously began to chatter. "Yeah, Fang, you need to clear up what happened to Max. I mean, did she like, get carried off by a plane or something? 'Cause then it'll be awhile before we catch up to her. Or was there, like, a speedboat? You know, that movie _The Italian Job? _That was really clever, the way they – "

"Nudge," Fang said tiredly. I shut up at once. He sounded…weird.

"Max wasn't taken," he said quietly, so quietly that I had to strain to hear, even though I was only a few feet away. To be fair, the wind was really loud in my ears. We were flying really really fast, so fast I knew that I wouldn't be able to keep it up for very long. But I knew Fang would keep flying until he found Max.

"She…wasn't taken?" Gazzy asked in a small voice. "Did she…?"

"No, no," Angel reassured him, but she sounded as unhappy as Fang. "Max isn't dead."

"Max…left." Fang's voice was so lifeless, toneless. I knew it was so he could conceal his emotion. Max was the only one he ever opened up to. But then the full impact of his words hit me.

"_What _did you say?" I asked, certain I had misheard. That had to be the shortest sentence I had ever said.

"She's gone, Nudge. She left. Last night."

"But what… what happened?" Iggy asked, his tone showing his worry.

Fang was silent for almost a minute before he replied. I was nearly imploding at this point. "I thought she was acting… weird earlier today," he said slowly. "Ever since that telephone call…"

"You're right!" I couldn't contain myself any longer. "She dropped that glass, and ran into the room, and then she was like, I had a panic attack – "

"Yes, Nudge. That's what she said. I don't know about the rest of you, but I didn't believe her."

"And I couldn't read her mind," Angel put in. "It was just a huge jumble, worse than Gazzy's room back home."

"Anyway," Fang said, now beginning to show signs of impatience in his flight, "I was on the deck tonight because I had this feeling that she would do something crazy. And just after midnight she came up on deck with a backpack. And she left."

"Max…gone?" Gazzy said brokenly. I was stunned myself. Leave us? Why? I couldn't live without this messed-up family of ours. Was Max tired of caring for us?

"I'm sure it has nothing to do with us, guys," Angel reassured us. But she sounded lost, lonely. She loved Max so much. Same as me. Same as the guys, even though they tried to be all tough as nails, like Max was. We needed to find her.

"Angel's right," Fang said. "I'm positive it had something to do with that phone call. She loves all of us too much to leave us by choice."

"It must have been something pretty bad then," Gazzy said slowly. Fang nodded. Automatically, we all increased the speed of our flight. Glancing at the others, I saw my own resolve mirrored on all of their faces. Fang's face scared me, though. He, of course, had total determination written in every line of his face, but there was also anguish there. I quickly looked away. I knew Fang would do everything he could to get Max back. He would only stop once he was dead.

So quietly I wasn't even sure I heard it, Fang muttered, eyes burning straight ahead, "I'm coming to kick your ass, Max."

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

Max's POV

I flew as hard as I could for as long as I could, eventually just becoming numb. I knew there was no way they could catch me; the miracles of super-speeded flight. And there was no way Angel could know where I was going, since I didn't even know. Nothing new there.

The Voice managed to keep up a stream of insults and admonishments all the way to – wherever I was going. But as I distanced myself from the flock and my old life, it seemed to fade a bit. Kind of like the Voice of Reason that I had left behind as soon as I had known how to swear impressively. So, a pretty young age.

Finally, I could almost not hear the voice anymore. So it didn't take nearly sawing my arm off, it didn't take microsurgery, it took tearing my heart out and stomping all over it. I filed that valuable piece of information away for future reference.

The Voice spoke to me once more. It sounded as though it took a huge effort. _Max, you need to turn around. Right now. It's not too late._

_It's way too late, _I thought back bitterly.

_If that's the way you feel… then I can no longer help you. You're on your own, Max._

_Good! _I thought back savagely. But no sooner had I thought that then I was hit with a blast from the past: my old friend, Let's Smash Max's Brain With Sharp Objects Until She Begins Hitting Herself Just So She Can Lost Consciousness.

The pain exploded in my skull, like there was a train ramming back and forth inside my brain. Immediately my wings forgot how to flap; I clutched my head in sheer agony and whimpered. Just a bit, though.

Some distant part of me was aware how fast the ground was hurtling up to meet me, but I couldn't be bothered with it. Or rather, I could. I awaited the ground in anticipation of the release of pain it would bring.

Suddenly, I hit a hard but not-as-hard-as-the-ground-hard surface. At that moment, the pain became too much for me, and I welcomed oblivion gratefully.

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

When I woke up, all the muscles in my body were sore. I checked the inventory, flexing each muscle as I came to it. Yep, bruises were patterned all over my body. Maybe some sprains.

I tried to remember what happened. Leaving. I quickly moved to the next event. Flying. The Voice… pain. A lot of pain. And then falling… and yet I wasn't dead?

I opened my eyes slowly, already expecting to see the stark white of the School. But it was a house. I was in someone's room, and the blankets were pulled securely up to my chin. Aware that I wasn't alone, I cast a sideways glance at the little girl watching me so intently. She was probably a little older than Angel, and probably couldn't read minds, but she reminded me of the six-year-old I had left behind, probably because of the innocence they both projected.

The girl blinked once. "She's awake!" she called softly, causing me to flinch. A woman hurried into the room then, closely followed by another girl around my age. They were obviously a family; all had the same shade of mahogany for hair, and the same bluish gray eyes.

The woman cautiously approached the bed. "How are you feeling?" she asked carefully.

"Um, like I fell out of the sky and hit the ground face-first," I replied, then instantly regretted it. I mean, what if they, by some miracle, _hadn't _noticed the wings?

That theory was immediately dispelled when the three of them simultaneously glanced at my back, then quickly looked away.

The girl my age stepped around her mother. She smiled uncertainly. "You landed on our trampoline."

The smallest one giggled. "You bounced really, really high. Higher than I could ever go. I'm Carrie, by the way."

"And I'm Shay," the older girl put in.

"Margaret." The woman moved closer to the bed. "Do you want to tell us how you got those wings?"

I blinked. Well, that was rather blunt. I was about to reply in the rudest way I could think of, when Carrie climbed on to the bed and pulled away the blankets. She stroked my feathers gently, so gently, as though frightened she would pull them out. She was like a human version of Angel. The Angel how she would have been had the whitecoats not gotten hold of her.

I shook my head to clear it. The vision of the small curly-haired blonde girl next to me dissolved into the reality of the brown-haired child staring solemnly into my face. "Some kind of genetic experiment," I told Margaret.

"Really? Your parents allowed that?"

"I don't know who my parents are. I escaped from the lab four years ago, and have been on the run ever since."

"Why did you fall out of the sky?" Carrie asked.

I evaded her gaze. "Headache," I mumbled.

"Well, there's no question about it," Margaret said briskly. "You have to stay with us, at least until you recover. I'll go get you some food from the kitchen." She left the room. Shay sat down on the edge of my bed.

"Sorry about my mother," she apologized. "She can be very… straightforward. And bossy. But she's a good person, don't worry."

I smiled. "I like your mom."

Shay smiled back in relief. "Good. What's your name?"

"I'm Max."

"Why do you guys get the cool names?" Carrie pouted. "Shay… Max… and I'm _Carrie."_

"My full name's actually Maximum," I told her.

"Well that's just great!" she said, throwing her hands up in the air. "Maximum and Shaleighla! Oh, and don't forget _Carrie!"  
_

I couldn't help but smile. What a drama queen. Shay's thoughts seemed to echo mine.

"Carrie wants to be an actress when she's older," Shay said, rolling her eyes when her sister wasn't looking.

"I'm going to be the next… _Marilyn Monroe," _Carrie said, using her breath to blow strands of hair out of her face as though the wind were blowing on her.

"Better not say that when Mom's in the room," Shay warned. "She'll start stealing your pee and doing random tests for drugs."

"What's this about drugs?" Margaret demanding, reentering the room. The grilled cheese sandwich on the plate was carried closer and closer to me…

"I just said we gave Max drugs to help her get well," Shay improvised quickly.

"Max? That's your name?" I didn't answer. I plucked the sandwich off the plate Margaret had handed to me and devoured it in two huge gulps. Yum.

"Um… I eat a lot," I explained. Bemused, Margaret left to fetch me more food.

"Oh, I do, too," Carrie assured me. The little starlet fluttered her eyelashes dramatically. "I'm hungry _all _the _time."_

Shay turned a laugh into a cough. Carrie paid her no attention. "Do you want to go outside with me after you finish eating?" she asked, dropping the movie star persona and becoming Angelic again.

"Yeah, sure," I said. I had thought I would never belong anywhere besides with my flock, but these people were welcoming, and this seemed to fit, too. I smiled at the two girls, who were eager to return it, Shay even patting my knee. It was nice to know I wasn't as scary as I sometimes made myself be.

A/N: And so Max meets some more people… and the Flock looks for her… what will happen next?? review with your thoughts/ideas!


	5. Chapter 5

**A/N: The wait wasn't as long this time! I think? Oh well... I finished this chapter in a rush, so I'm not too sure about it... that's for you guys to decide!**

**Disclaimer: I don't own NEthing.**

Max POV

Shay and I got to school with plenty of time to spare. I had to get my schedule and check for escape routes, and everything, anyway. I still wasn't quite sure this was a good idea. My last education experience didn't go as I would have like it to. I mean, who _wants _to see their principal's purple vein throbbing fit to burst in his forehead?

Exactly. No one.

I furtively looked around once we entered the building. It seemed innocent, but... we didn't want a repeat of the Virginia incident.

"Okay, so here are some of the lockers," Shay was saying, "and there's a few crappy classrooms... ooh, the Home Ec. Room, yummy... here's the office... oh look, here's my friend Brandon... BRANDON!" The guy I hadn't seen because he was hidden behind his locker door came into view. He blinked, then stood up and walked towards us; he was maybe an inch or two taller than me, dark-skinned, an Afro-American.

"Hey, Shay," he greeted. Then he turned his gaze on me. "And this is...?"

"I'm Max," I cut in, always hating it when other people introduced me.

"Sup," he said, smiling. He was actually the first person I had heard say that who didn't sound stupid. I smiled back in relief.

Shay checked the clock on the wall. "Aw, we gotta get your schedule, Max, but we'll catch you later, okay, Brandon?"

"Sure thing," he said, raising his eyebrows at me.

"Later," I said, and followed Shay into the office.

Luckily in my first class we were just watching a film, so it wasn't like I had to pay attention or anything crazy like that. I took my cue from the other kids, most of whom were playing Bubble Wrap on their iTouches under the desks.

A piece of paper hit me on the head, and bounced off. I heard a stifled giggle. A girl a few seats away from me was looking straight at me, smiling. Hesitantly, I opened the balled-up-paper:

_R u new?_

I was as polite as I could be, under the circumstances. I quickly scrawled, _Duh, _under her note and sent it flying back at her. Apparently, paper just doesn't _fly _the same way a good old-fashioned grenade does, because the paper flew slightly to the right and beaned some guy in the head. He looked clueless for a second, then saw me staring. His gaze went from me to the paper, and he grinned devilishly. But before he could grab the paper the girl who originally sent me the note snatched it back, and wrote another message before throwing it back to me.

_Apparently getting hit in the head with paper is a turn-on for Riley._

I looked up at the guy, still staring at me and smiling. He wiggled his eyebrows up and down in a _very _good imitation of a pedophile.

_So what would be his turn-off? An anvil? Stuffed in a locker? My personal favorite, kick to the groin?_

She wrote back, _Ooh, definitely the groin one. That would be one less danger to the female gender._

I snorted. Yeah, right_. I have a better idea. How about you sacrifice yourself for me, and hit him with a piece of paper, so he likes you?_

_ No way in hell am I giving myself up to a farting baboon wearing a turtleneck!_

_ Hmm.. sounds like my type of guy._

When she read that, the girl pulled a grotesque face just as Riley looked at her. The similarity between their faces in that moment was startling. Just then, the teacher flicked the lights back on and we were unable to continue "taking notes" on the video.

After class, Note Girl met me at the door. She was really pretty, I noticed, with blonde hair, blue eyes, and a lot of mascara. She jerked her thumb behind her head and widened her eyes meaningfully. "How are you getting on with your new stalker?"

I looked in the direction she indicated and noticed him hovering just off another group of students, watching us.

I shrugged. "Oh, you know. We have an agreement. He gets to stalk... and I get to chuck rocks if he starts stealing my old tissues or anything. Plus, I reserve the right to a restraining order if he gets too creepy."

"The last one didn't work out too well," she grinned. "Better have a backup plan."

"Hey, Bianca!" a girl walking past with a bunch of per friends called out. "Come on! I'm starving!"

"In a minute," she called back. Bianca turned to me. "I guess you know my name," she said. "What's yours?"

"Max, Short for Maximum, not Maxine, so don't ask."

Eat lunch with me," Bianca urged. "You're really cool!" She began steering me through the crowds of people.

"I'm eating with Shay... She's who I'm staying with."

"I think Shay sits at my table," she said absentmindedly. We got in the lunch line right behind a group of rowdy guys, all shoving each other around.

"Ew, that's disgusting," Bianca complained, turning her face away from a tray of goo I _thought_ was supposed to be casserole.

"Well, it's better than rock-hard brownies," said one of the guys in front of us pointedly, turning around. He was pretty good looking, I had to admit. "God, I think I broke half my teeth off from that crapload of junk."

"Well, now they match the rest of your face," Bianca snapped. "Besides, it wasn't like you were even supposed to _eat _them. I just made them to _look _good."

"Speaking of looking good..." he said suggestively, "who's your friend over here?"

Normally I would be pretty darn irritated about that statement, but the way he said it didn't sound at all sexist. Just all jokey, and actually... nice.

"Max," I replied. We pushed our trays down the lunch line. I swear, it was like a gauntlet of torture. Were kids seriously supposed to eat this?

"Max?" he said, grinning in a way that made me sure he was kidding. "That's a guy's name. Have you ever been mistaken for a guy?"

"No. Have you?" I shot back. Bianca snorted. Friendly Guy's two friends – one of which was Brandon, the afro dude I had met this morning – clapped him on the back, oohing. He just grinned good-naturedly.

"Only on my bad hair days," he said, in a very gay voice. Then he snapped out of it and offered his hand. "I'm Zack. This is Brandon and Josh. We'll see you around, Max."

Brandon nodded at me, and the three of them left for a table with a bunch of guys clowning around just like they were previously.

"They like you," Bianca commented. "Everyone else does, too. I can tell."

I shrugged. Why it should matter that I fit in here, I had no idea.

"Hey, Max!" Shay waved at me from the other end of the table Bianca and I were about to sit at. She made a jerk of her head that told me, _sit with your new friend, _and then went back to talking with the girls near her.

"Girls, this is Max," Bianca introduced me to the girls at this end. They nodded and smiled their hellos. I recognized a bunch of them from my first few classes. There was that pair of gigglers from my first period class, and the crazy one from my second period...

Maybe this living-as-a-human-with-no-knowledge-of-avian-hybrids wouldn't be so bad after all.

Margaret picked us up after school. "Now, how was your first day, Max?"

Uh... it seemed good. Everyone's really friendly." Which was totally true. I had new friends in all of my classes. At least, I thought they were friends. What's the definition of a friend, anyway?

Shay snorted. "What an understatement! It's only her first day, and already Max is like, _supa popular."_

"So I take it you're going back tomorrow?" Margaret asked. Without waiting for an answer she asked Carrie about a play she had landed a lead role in. I looked out of the window. Looked like it had already been decided if I was seriously enrolling in school. I didn't actually mind that much. Maybe it was just the _private _schools that were home to evil, vein-exploding, Taser-wielding principals.

Nudge POV

"Nudge, would you please take a spin for me? I want to see if you're similar at all to these penguins we've been seeing," Brigid wheedled.

I'm the most agreeable, so she asked me, Nudge thought bitterly. She shook her head. "Sorry. I'm not really in the mood."

Brigid sighed, and Nudge could guess her thoughts: _You never are anymore. _The scientist glanced at Fang, who had been staring motionless at the water for a long while now. Brigid sighed again, this time in exasperation, and went below decks.

Nudge felt anger in her veins at Brigid. She didn't care about Max. She never had. She only liked Fang, who only liked Max, who liked everyone the same. And now she was gone.

Nudge went over to stand next to Fang. Somehow, the rest of the flock had appeared silently as well. Angel was the one to offer comfort. "We'll see her soon, guys," she promised. "Very soon."

Fang buried his head in his hands, and the other guys' eyes were getting shinier by the moment. Nudge could feel her own throat closing. The one that seemed least affected was Angel. She looked worried, but confident they would see Max soon. Nudge found herself hoping that Angel had developed the power to predict the future.

As she watched, Angel patted Fang's arm and whispered something to him reassuringly. Yes, Fang was distraught, but no, he hadn't given up on Max. He flew out for days at a time, barely stopping to eat, just looking for her. Sometimes the flock went with him. On these instances, usually someone broke down and started crying in these instances. Nudge got the feeling that Fang had shed a few tears himself, when he was alone. She knew that if anyone found Max, it would be Fang.

He would find her, or die trying, as would everyone else in the Flock.

**A/N: YAY!! A little shorter than normal, I think... but better than nothing. Also more rushed than is typical, but again, better than no chapter at all.**

**I feel like I mentioned veins a lot in this chapter...**

**Please tell me what you think! Review!**


	6. Chapter 6

**A/N: so fricken cold outside!!! Sorry, I've been loaded down w/ hw lately… but I found time to post a new one-shot! Go check it out! I love doing one-shots : )**

**Disclaimer: I own nothing. Besides anyone I play at Halo.**

**Chapter 6**

"I need a burger," Gazzy groaned. "Quick, Nudge, you're good at computers. Find me a Burger King before I starve."

Nudge gave a small smile, but didn't launch into a huge lecture about the dangers of fast food. She turned and saw all the terminals in the stations were occupied except one, on the end. Nudge touched the mouse and then froze. Was it…?

"Hurry up, I'm starving too," Iggy complained.

"Go get Fang," Nudge said urgently. He needed to know about this.

"Why?"

"Just – go! Before I kill you!"

Gazzy returned, grumbling, with Fang in tow. "What's going on?" he asked. Nudge started when she heard his voice. After Max had left, Fang had basically gone mute.

"Fang, I – I feel Max here," Nudge said, turning her attention back to the mouse below her fingers. An image of a beautiful sun-streaked brown-eyed girl flashed under her eyelids.

"What? Recently?" This was way more alive thatn Nudge had seen him in a long time.

"No…" Nudge said slowly, trying to get a fix on the date. Her eyes shot open. "Fang, she was using tis computer _just before she left!"_

"Whoa, really?" Gazzy exclaimed.

"What was she looking at?" Iggy asked.

Nudge closed her eyes and let the image of Max fill her mind. Still with her eyes closed, Nudge guided the mouse to the History button and let it travel down to a link.

Nudge heard a gasp behind her. Slowly, she opened her eyes and stared at the monitor filled with words. Meaningless words.

Meaningless words describing the affliction of tuberculosis.

Max POV

Well. Start Week 3 of Public School.

Get this: I felt somewhat… _normal._

I had friends. (I know, weird, huh?) Bianca had been to "my" house several times already. Same with Brandon, and a few other kids. I went to school. Studied at home (sometimes), goofed around in classes(always. The teachers always take pity on the new kids.). But the weirdest part? To me, anyway? The gift I had received last week from Margaret.

"A…_phone?" _I asked, stunned.

"Do you know how to use it?"

"Well, duh."

Yep, a phone. Maximum Ride, texting on her cellphone. It cracked me up every time I thought of how ridiculous it was. I had been so quick to dismiss Margaret, so quick to assure I knew how to use a phone… but I still had trouble accessing my voicemail, and remembering my number was way beyond me. So basically all it was good for was the texting part, and I was up to about a word a minute. On a good day.

So, my new life was as good as I could have hoped it to be, considering it was minus my five favorite people in the world. Plus a dog. Yes, pathetic, I know. I had actually grown fond enough of Total – in his absence, anyway – to miss him.

Then there was the reason I had needed to separate from them in the first place. Obviously I had struck out on my own so I didn't get anyone I cared about sick, but I unexpectedly cared for these new people, too. I hadn't thought about it much since I got here, but my "little problem" hadn't bothered me much at all in recent weeks. Strange. Well, I wasn't complaining. Okay, yes, I was. That retarded disease had taken me away from my family, and now it was spontaneously cured? How unfair was that?

"Earth to Max," Bianca said, waving her hand in front of my face.

I blinked. "Sorry. I _was _trying to decide what to get you for Christmas, but I guess it doesn't matter."

Bianca squealed. "Sorry! I won't interrupt you!"

I just smiled. "Are you coming over today?"

"Duh! Oh wait… I forgot. I have a family thing today. God."

I rolled my eyes. "It won't be _that _bad…"

She groaned. "Trust me, it will. My grandma's bringing _pie."_

I shook my head. "She can't be that bad of a cook. Bet you anything I've had worse." Food is food is food. A grandma's pie would be better than sifting through Dumpsters. Especially since the food usually taken from the Dumpsters was the equivalent of a grandma's pie…left in a Dumpster for a week.

Bianca looked at me almost sadly. "How young you are…"

I swatted her and ran off to Margaret's car, which had just pulled up outside of the school. "See you Monday!" I called, before shutting the door.

"How was your day?" Shay yawned from next to me. I swear, that girl was always tired. Like an insomniac. Unfortunately for us, we never even bumped into each other during the school day. Seriously, could we have gotten more unlucky? Lockers at farthest corners of the school, no classes together, different groups to sit with at lunch…

Shay unknowingly followed my train of that. "I never see you at school," she complained. "It sucks how we have no classes together!"

"I can fix that," Margaret said from the front seat, ever alert. She had probably bullied the school board into doing all sorts of things for her in the past. What kinds of things, I totally didn't want to know.

"No, Margaret," Shay assured her hastily. "I don't want you doing anything illegal." She turned back to me. "We're like, the exact opposite of you and Brandon."

I smirked. Brandon and I had five classes together and lockers just down the hall from one another. I knew his combination. It totally freaked him out to find half his school supplies floating in jell-o everyday. He was almost like a brother, except I already had three brothers. Not looking for any more, thanks.

As soon as we got home, Shay and I headed into the kitchen to make cookies. As soon as we had discovered how junk-food compatible we were, Shay and I hadn't let up at all. Seriously, would you pass up a bowl of ice cream with cookies and a brownie on the side with popcorn for a snack? Assuming the answer to that question was _le duh, _you now understand why I haven't had much free time most nights of the week.

When I said we headed into the kitchen to make cookies, what I really meant was I read the directions and Shay made the food. She had discovered as soon as I arrived here that I couldn't cook worth spit. That was after I forgot to add the cheese in the Mac n Cheese. My skills were definitely improving though. I had progressed from boiling water all the way to adding noodles _just after _boiling the water.

Right after I dropped our first egg on the floor, the doorbell rang.

"I'll get it!" Shay announced, running to the door.

"You just don't want to clean up the yellow crap all over the floor!" I called after her.

She was saved from a sure-to-be-pathetic excuse by answering the door. I couldn't hear what was being said, but I did hear her yell down the hall, "Max, some people here to see you!"

I looked up in time to see a familiar figure racing towards me. I jumped to my feet to stop a hurtling Nudge from crashing into the counter, but then I slipped on the egg I had yet to clean and fell flat on my back.

"ZOMG! Max, are you okay?" She knelt next to me and began hugging me fiercely. I hugged her back just as warmly. "You have no idea how much I've missed you," she said, near tears. "It was terrible, with you gone. I can't believe you could just leave us like that. Why did you leave? Cuz Fang thought some one made you leave, but I didn't see how that could be true, when he actually saw you fly off – "

I ignored her endless stream of chatter, jumping to my feet and pulling Gazzy and Iggy into a hug. Gazzy clutched me around my middle, and I realized he was close to my height. Iggy squeezed me and let go, saying something about missing me. But I wasn't really paying attention to them anymore. I had seen Fang behind them.

He hadn't moved from the doorway of the kitchen, and was staring at me intently. I knew he was angry. But I also read the relief in his eyes. I knew because I felt it in my heart too, once I saw that he was safe.

"I'm so glad to see you guys," I murmured to them, before disentangling myself and going up to Fang. He pulled me into a tight hug.

"Why didn't you just tell me, Max?" he muttered. "Why just – run off?"

I stiffened. So he knew the reason why I had left. They all knew. But…maybe my life wasn't gone. I had just been thinking earlier how it hadn't seemed to affect me at all in the past few weeks.

"I didn't want anyone to get hurt because of me," I told him gently.

"But we did get hurt," he said, pulling back to look at my face searchingly. My heart jumped. "Especially – "

"Hi, Max!" I heard Angel's voice behind him. I cursed her terrible timing. "I knew we would see you soon! How are you feeling?"

She didn't look surprised at all to see me. I wished I could say the same of Margaret about the flock. I heard her come into the kitchen. Then I heard her voice.

"_What _is going on here?" she said angrily.

**A/N: So sorry to keep you hanging on a cliffy! I just feel like if I continued the chapter it would be forced. This one already DID feel a little forced. It was also short, I thought. Am I going OOC? Tell me your thoughts! Review!**


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